Unlike many Armored divisions formed during World War II, the 4th Armored Division did officially adopt a catchy nickname like “Hell on Wheels” or “Old Ironsides” because, as the Division Commander put it, “Fourth Armored Division was name enough”—only to have “Name Enough” spring into use as the unit’s sobriquet. The 4th Armored Division took part in five European campaigns during World War II and was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation, a two French Croix de Guerre with Palm, and a French World War II Fourragere.
Leading the way across Europe was a commander whose name would later become synonymous with American tank power: Creighton Abrams, commander of the 37th Tank Battalion. Besides eventually reaching the pinnacle of the Army chain of command by serving as U.S. Army Chief of Staff, his name was also used for the M-1 tank, arguably the most successful tank design of the 20th century.
Activated in the mid-1950s, the unit did adopt the nickname “Breakthrough,” but it quickly fell out of use and was discontinued. From 1957 until its inactivation in 1971, the 4th Armored Division was stationed in Germany as part of NATO’s front-line deterrence against possible Soviet invasion.